Tribe's Abby Rendle is adjusting to new role

In her last six games, Rendle averaging 11.8 points on 56-percent shooting.

Last year, Abby Rendle's absence coincided with William and Mary's midseason collapse. This season, her presence has been a factor in the Tribe's resurgence.

Adjusting to a new role of coming off the bench, Rendle is providing her disruptive 6-foot-4 length on both ends of the floor. She's fifth nationally in blocked shots with 3.6 per game. And her offense, though not quite what it was a year ago, is starting to come around.

"The last three or four games have been really promising," W&M coach Ed Swanson said. "I think it's a confidence thing, too, that Abby doesn't realize how good she really is. When kids know how good they are, they're a little more aggressive.

"That's what we're trying to get from her, to be more aggressive on the offensive end. That's sometimes hard to do when that's not your nature."

Swanson is starting to see more of that. And interestingly enough, it's been since she began coming off the bench.

In her last six games, Rendle is averaging 11.8 points on 56-percent shooting. She had been a starter since her freshman year, but she's handling the change.

"It's a different role for me, but Kasey (Curtis) has been playing really well," Rendle said. "She's been playing her role with the team very well. It's definitely different, but I don't mind it.

"When you're on the bench, you can see how the team is moving, how the other team is working. You can get prior insights to when you get on the floor. You get to mentally prepare and know what your role is."

A year ago, her role was to dominate.

On Jan. 22, 2016, Rendle had the program's first-ever triple double with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in a win over UNC Wilmington. She was leading the team in scoring (13.2 ppg), rebounding (7.3 rpg) and blocked shots (3.1 per game).

But walking down some icy stairs, she slipped and broke her ankle. Her season was over, and so was the Tribe's. With an overall record of 12-5 at the time of Rendle's injury, W&M lost 10 of its last 13 games.

Rendle underwent surgery. Then came recovery, which wasn't easy.

"I had never had a major injury like that before, so I didn't know what to expect," Rendle said. "I thought I'd be back and be 100 percent like I was last year. So it surprised me that it took a little time to get the feel of things.

See the 2017-18 William and Mary men's basketball season in photos.

"That was a little frustrating for me. But it's a process to get back to how you normally play."

Rendle was back in the starting lineup for the 2016-17 opener and had 10 points with seven rebounds in a loss to St. John's. Then she went eight consecutive games without either scoring or rebounding in double figures.

Then came a four-game stretch in which she averaged 15 points and 8.5 rebounds. But over the next five games, those numbers dropped to eight points and 4.8 boards.

And then came the switch: Curtis, a 6-2 senior, became a starter; and Rendle would come off the bench. Her playing time has been roughly the same — nearly 23 minutes as a reserve compared to 25 as a starter. But she's been more productive.

"Maybe it's less pressure, I don't know," Swanson said. "Some people are better off the bench. Maybe Abby's benefiting from sitting there a little bit.

"I don't know if having her come off the bench was to light a fire underneath her. You know, mission accomplished. Just moving her to the bench might have helped her anxiety of having to perform."

At 16-8 overall, W&M has its most since the 2006-07 season. Officially, the Tribe is 6-7 in the conference. But the CAA will add a win and subtract a loss when it's time to seed the tournament in response to the basketball not being the correct size in a road loss to Charleston on Jan. 6.

The Tribe stands in fifth place, which would be its highest finish since 2006-07. But W&M has five games remaining, starting Friday at home against Charleston.

"We know how we can play and how we should play, and I don't think we've been playing to our potential," Rendle said. "We definitely know that if we play to our potential we can do well in the CAA tournament."